Hull construction of boats.



C. Z. HUBBELL.

HULL CONSTRUCTION OF BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19| I9IB.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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C. Z. HUBBELL.

HULL CONSTRUCTION 0F BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9, IQIII.

l 289,781 Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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CLARENCE Z. HUBBELL,`OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, .ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AN D MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 HULL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,

TON.

A, CORPORATION 0F WASHING- HULL CONSTRUCTION 0F BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 19, 1918. Serial N o.' 223,432. y

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLARENCE YZ. HUB- BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of llashington, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hull Construction of Boats, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the hull construction of boats, and particularly to the construction of concrete boats, the object of the invention being the provision of simple and eiicient means for forming the hull or shell of a vessel of concrete by utilizing movable formers at the exterior of the hull, and in connection with these formers employing means for withdrawing the formers or supports after the hull is completed,all as will be more fully described and claimed hereinafter, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

The drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention. The invention described herein and shown in the drawings applies exclusively to the outer .formation of the hull, both at the sides and bottom, the forms, cores, or formers for retaining the plastic material at the inner side` of the vessel being purposely omitted. Y

Figure 'l is a cross section of a construction dock according to this invention, showing the hull` completed, the supports in place, and the hull ready to be floated from the dock.` i Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the devices for withdrawing the exterior side forms from the side of the hullf Fig. 3 is a perspective view, in section of one of a number of buoyant supports or pontoons for Vsupporting the hull at the bottom. v i 'f Fig. 4.- is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing .the supports withdrawn and the hull afloat in the dock. p Fig. 5 is a small, sectional view showing the vessel in the construction dock and ready to be floated therefrom.

, In the vpreferred form of the invention as illustrated in the drawings I have shown the dock as made up of concrete side walls 1, l,

and thereabove the superstructure 2, and the roof 3 is' of usual formv for buildings o f this type, and a traveling crane for construction work is illustrated at 4. The dock is so situated that it may be flooded with water upto the water ine as illustrated at lV. L. in the drawings, and around the four sides of the rectangular walls is yarranged a ledge 5 formed by thickening the side walls, and having the ledge projectinwardly as shown. At the side of the dock and communicating therewith is a .lock chamber 6, of greater depth; than the construction dock, and by means of the gates 6 (Fig. 5) the 'completed hull may be lowered to pass out ofthe lock chamber 6 to tidewater, as indicated in Fig. 5.

The vessel or hull is indicated at the letter V and its keel is designated K, and in Fig. l 0f the drawings it willV be seen that a longitudinal, central partition 7 extends the full length of the dock and divides it, at its bottoni intot'wo compartments 8, 8, and within these compartments at each sideof the center partition, are arranged al series of buoyantv supports or pontoons indicated as 'a wholeby the number 9. The pontoons are preferably of metallic construction as shown and hollow and formed with a.' flat bottom '10 andl outer inclined wall 1l at the end, while the upper wall of the pontoons, in each case is fashioned to conform to the exterior of the bot# tom of the hull ofthe ship, the compound curve l2 being KVof suflicient length to extend from the keel outwardly to the verticalV side wall of the hull, and these pontoons forni the core upon which the bottom of the vessel is laid. At the outer end ofeach pontoon an elevated portion is formed, and the'inclined face 13 is adapted to lit up under the ledge 5 of the dock asin Fig. l to retain 'the' vpontoonsin stable position. The pontoons arebu'oyant, but may be filled with water in order to sink them, and withdraw their support from the hull after completion thereof-andr while buoyant, are held by anchorinV chainsli attached` to the bottom of the ock and to the bottom of the pontoons. f

`To hold` the pontoons stable and takethe lio The operation of the different parts of the invention will be readily understood. After the hull has been properly formed, the hydraulic jacks are first raised to the bottom of the hull to receive the load, and then the brace arms under the pontoons are withdrawn, and the hollow pontoons flooded with water as described, so that they will sink to the bottom of the dock and simultaneously withdraw the vertical cores or plates leaving the hull supported on the center partition and the jacks. The dock is then flooded and the hull is floated and then floated through the lock chamber 6 and subsequently through the lock gates to tide water.

laims:

1. A dry dock for use in building concrete boats having a series of confined buoyant and submersible supports shaped to coliform to the exterior bottom surfa-ce of the boat and perform the function of molding surfaces.

2. A dry boats having dock for use in building concrete a central vertical keel partition, and a series of confined, buoyant and submersible supports each side of the partition forn'iing molding surfaces for the bottoni of the boat.

3. A dry dock for use in building concrete boats having a series of buoyant, submersible supports forming molding surfaces for the bottom of the boat, and upright surfaces for the sides of the boat movable in conjunction with the submerging motion of the supports.

4. A dry dock for use in building concrete vessels having a central keel partition and a series of submersible pontoons at each side of the partition confined between the Walls and partition, and upright molding surfaces for the sides of the vessel movable in conjunction with the submerging motion. of the pontoons.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 5. A dry dock for use in building concrete vessels having a series of buoyant, submersible supports forming molding surfaces for the bottom of the vessel, and means for causing a gradual separation of the pontoon from the vessel as the pontoon is submerged.

6. A dry dock for use in building concrete boats having a series of submersible, buoyant supports for the bottom of the hull, and upright molding surfaces for the sides of the hull movable in conjunction with the submersible supports, and means for tilting the molding surfaces and supports in their init-Iial movement of withdrawal from the hul 7. The combination in a buoyant support as described having a molding surface and having a water inlet, and said support formed with a receiving chamber near one edge whereby the support is initially tilted before being submerged.

The combination in buoyant, submersible, molding surfaces for'use in building concrete hulls, of a partition in the molding surfaces forming a receiving chamber for water whereby the molding surfaces are initially tilted as the water flows therein to submerge the molding surfaces, upright molding surfaces for the sides of the hull, and means for tilting said upright molding surfaces preparatory to withdrawing them from the sides of the hull.

9. The combination in a dry dock for construction of concrete hulls, of a series of buoyant pontoons coacting as molding surfaces to support the bottom of the hull, pivoted brace arms for relieving the pontoons of the load of the concrete hull, and means for moving said arms to inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLARENCE Z. HUBBELL.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

